I owe my teachers and my school thanks for providing every opportunity

I’m 18 years old, and am a waitress. I studied my profession at Miklós Esterházy Vocational Secondary School (Szekszárd Centre of Vocational Training) in Dombóvár, Tolna county. I am still a student of this school, and am attending classes to prepare for my final exams. I am happy to share my experience with vocational training, as I owe my teachers and my school thanks for providing every opportunity (and even a scholarship) to help me achieve my professional goals.

I spent my traineeship at the four-star Gunaras Resort Spa Hotel in Dombóvár, where I was trained by highly qualified staff. In November 2017, with the help of Erasmus+, I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in Vienna, where I could further improve my professional skills.

In the Spring of 2018, I got the chance to go to Transylvania (financed by ‘Határtalanul’), where I also met some other Hungarians, and we became close.

In the Spring of 2019, I took part in the Best Hungarian Trainee Waiter competition, in which I achieved above 60%. I was therefore not required to sit the written part of the vocational final exam. The result of my final complex exam was excellent.

Right now, I am working at full capacity to get good results in the final exams. Apart from German, I have recently taken up English, thanks to a special 120-lesson-long free course provided by my school. I still keep in touch with Gunaras Resort Spa, where I spent my internship. At the weekends and during school breaks, I help out in the hotel to gain further professional experience.

I am planning to continue working in catering, and to go to university. I feel positive about my future, as at my secondary school, I have developed both personally and professionally.

Nóra Klenota, Student, Hungary